The good news is Serena Williams is in the final of her home US Open.
ADHEREL
The bad news — she’s facing a player she lost to comprehensively in their most recent meeting.

The six-time US Open champion Williams won 12 of the last 13 games to beat Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-0 to gain the final on Thursday in her quest for a record 24th Grand Slam championship.

Williams found herself down 0-2 in the first set but went on to lose only one more game.

“A year ago I was fighting for literally my life at the hospital after I had the baby,” Williams said. “Every day I step on this court I’m so grateful that I have an opportunity to play this sport. No matter what happens in any match, semis, finals, I just feel like I’ve already won…Just been working really hard. Like I said, this is just the beginning of my return. I’m still on the way up. There’s still much more that I plan on doing. You don’t reach your best a couple months in. That’s kind of where I am now. I just feel like there’s a lot of growth to still go in my game. That’s actually the most exciting part.”

Serena is one win away from matching Margaret Court’s all-time mark of 24 major titles. If she wins Saturday she will surpass her own record of oldest Slam champion set at the Australian Open in 2017.

In the final Serena will meet the 20-year-old Naomi Osaka, who beat her in their last meeting earlier this year at the Miami Open.

The No. 20-seeded Osaka became the first Japanese woman in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam singles final.

Keys had won her previous three meetings with Osaka but the Japanese fended off all 13 break points she faced on Thursday night, and battered Keys’ second serve. Keys struggled with 32 unforced errors.

“This is going to sound really bad,” Osaka said on what she was thinking during the match, “but I was just thinking — I really wanted to play Serena. Because she’s Serena.”

Im torn i want Serena to get 24, but i would love a brand new GS champion, and Osaka is a cute girl with a fantastic game, im sure Serena will get 24 sooner or later, so i hope Naomi wins this one, may the best lady win ….

Same here Margot. Noami, great to see her in a GS final.
Serena never stops amazing me, in different ways. And This time on the scorelne. Saw the first two games, her opponent was hitting winners left and right, and Serena was not running after balls, looking lethargic. Then she reels off 12/13 games, match over. Geez!
Both gals have their own storied finish if either one wins, sad to see their willl be only one winner.
—-
Btw Margot my go-to workout routine in the gym: 🎧. Can’t workout without them, otherwise a bore.

When Serena was beaten by Stosur in 2011, the two ladies were sat chatting together before the presentation, she gave Sam a big hug and congratulated her after the match,like wise with Kerber, Mugaruza and Sharapova ….

When I see myself, I see humility. When I see the Big Lady, I am afraid that she will stuff a ball down my throat. When Uncle Toni was around, I felt safe. With the new people I have, I am not so sure.

Osaka was hitting very deep against Keys, controlling the points. That will be key against Serena. Serena is looking to end rallies by pouncing on short balls. Osaka might be able to wear her out with long side-to-side rallies, then look for her chances on Serena’s serve. But she will need to play at a very high level.

I like this site and most of the comments that are from true passionate and thoughtful tennis fans. It’s a shame that just a couple of people spoil that experience by their very weak attempts at humor, and casual but offensive racist, sexist and xenophobic comments.

Watching this, Osaka looks so comfortable in the moment. Clearly giving Serena problems with her fierce forehand. Hoping she takes the match. Serena is an amazing champion… but I’d love to see Osaka SAKA it to her!!! :)

this is really sad turn of events. I think ramos is a real idiot, who imposed himself this way today.
But to be fair, every final or semifinal I remember serena has lost, one or the other kind of drama has taken place in that court.
I wonder why that is. Now she is pinning it down to her being a woman. But she got one warning, then she kept on violating. That means, I am bigger than you, you can’t give me a warning.
May be the first warning was a little harse but it was borderline coaching there. Why did she kept one going after that?
Osaka won’t treat this win, if she closes out, a proper win now. Serena totally changed the narrative. Though she is the best player ever, it’s this kind of privileged attitude she possesses, I choose not to watch her matches, except the finals.

What extraordinary scenes. Never seen anything like it in a final. Serena’s coach was clearly coaching, Serena hadn’t asked for it, hadn’t wanted it, but it was she who got the violation. Perhaps Patrick should’ve been asked to leave the stadium.
However, Osaka was so impressive, so calm amidst the storm, such fantastic, powerful play too, matching Serena’s power. Such a shame her victory has been overshadowed by this controversy.
Interesting to see Serena’s old coach, Sasha in Naomi’s team, a smart move! He’s obviously been a terrific asset.
Hoping that Naomi gets loads more slams, she’s terrific.

What are you on about chofer? Ramos was out of line. Period. Serena shouldn’t have been put in the position to have to respond to this foolishness in the first place. He’s the one with the power and needs to deploy it responsibly.

He could have given her a soft warning if he was going to decide to enforce a rule in a major final that is otherwise never enforced.

Margot: I feel for Osaka. She’s a wonderful person and doesn’t deserve any of this. Poor kid. And now Serena is consoling her.

Serena proved to be such a sore loser, once again. Shame on you, Serena! You tried to push a 20-year girl out of balance, you turned the whole Arthur Ashe against her, and thank God she surpassed this challenge and stayed cool until the very end.
In order to be acclaimed as the greatest of all time (which Serena arguably is), you have to give credits to the ones who played better and beat you.

Thanks, Naomi, for the brilliant performance. I have no doubts that you will pick up many more grand slams in the future!

Ramos was heavy handed but Patrick was, in the letter of the law, coaching. Serena lost it unfortunately and the crowd was horrible.
Only Naomi comes out of this with shining colours, earning all our admiration and respect.

He chose to “respect” a rule that he has otherwise not respected. That’s the problem. Selective enforcement is not ok.

I can understand why a player who is trying to win a major isn’t composed. It’s Ramos’ responsibility not to create this kind of a problem over something that is never otherwise enforced. Especially to decide to do it in a major final.

Apologists are the Big Lady can now provide 12 facts to show how an umpire can be called a thief. To be fair, it’s an upgrade from the previous meltdown where she threatened to stuff the ball down somebody’s throat.

When you have a reputation for being unprofessional, well, things happen to you.

Harsh maybe, but not acting on the events would have been worse/Finals a year after giving birth, nough said

Semidoghouse
Moratouglu/Street Serena
Messed up/Grow up

Doghouse: WTA/GS couching rules disparity

Wilander said it, when a couch is supposed to give courtside couching on tour week after week, mistakes can happen when you sit in a GS stand in the heat of the moment. Though, professionalism would demand discipline.

If you look for the pinnacles, which a GS final should be, the standard should be as such. If on lesser stages coaching violations go unnoticed, then if somewhere, the Grand Slam Final is the place where you clean it up, or fortify the rules.

I was literally crying for Osaka, with Osaka, I felt so bad for her, she is so delicate and the crowd was so rude, and she deserved nothing of what happened, but Serena and the crowed ruined everything for her. So instead of feeling happy for her, I’m kinda sad.

BBB re; 6:20 post.
That summarizes the whole issue for me also, thanks. The umpires/ATP never been consistent with rule enforcements. It is a disaster waiting to happen , and unfortunately it happened today. Otherwise, a lot of hateful comments here that seem to go beyond this match.

After Serena argued with Ramos, the crowds went a bit mad. I am sure, this was not easy to handle for Naomi. And I think there were 2-3 such arguments btw Ramos and Serena.
Serena really behaved like she was at the market arguing with some salesman, because she was feeling robbed.

Felt sorry for the young Osaka that her great play and 1st big championship will be overshadowed in the “controversity sells!” liberal media to being All About Poor Serena – yet again. The girl looked like she wanted to be anywhere but out there. The upside is 3.8 million Osaka got is some mighty nice salve on the moment of great joy stolen from her. And also, the high chance she will have more big championships and not have those marred by a poorly timed effort by Ramos to enforce the rules, and Williams uncontrolled rage and berating the umpire on-stop beginning at the coaching violation.

===============
This after the media tries playing the racial angle, bringing in Colin Kaepernick to exercise his moral authority to defend her as a martyr, and various feminist spin doctors on how *spit* Meeeeeennn! get away with insulting umpires. But at the end of all the Praise to Queen SErena media is played out – what will last is going to be another big downside marker in the ‘controversial’ great, career of Serena Williams. 20 years from now, it will be along the lines of Serena lacking the character to match her athletic talent. A shame, as the woman is smart, well read, speaks French and Spanish, and is a successful entrepreneur so she is by no means a dumb belligerent ghetto thugstress. But she will always have that stigma.

If you look at the tape, she just lit into the ump and would not let up, maybe lured into a sense of immunity due a great champ from this or that rule being violated. Serena’s arrogance and entitlement took over. Screaming for umpire apologies, telling him to shut up when he tried responding, playing the deserving mother card, finally yelling he was a thief.
It wasn’t just the words, it was the unrelenting diatribe. Ramos finally had enough, as Serena intended but instead of umpire kowtowing being the fruit of her “Mission Accomplished”, Williams just screwed herself. Not out of a win…Osaka was beating her…but screwed her reputation yet again.

A more positive story was Jamie Murray and Bettaney Mattek-Sands mixed doubles trophy today. Judy Murray was there and got to hear her son egg on the crowd to wish her a happy birthday and see her other #1 rated son get yet another Slam title. And Mattek-Sands had a horrific knee injury at Wimbledon last year and came back.

And yesterday, as he did when they won Wimbledon after Bob Bryan got injured, Mike Bryan paired with Jack Sock to win the USO men’s doubles crown. Mike B turned 40 in April.

In answer to those who are asking why Serena behaves as she does, the answer is simple. It’s because she was brought up to have a sense of entitlement, by a father who, if anyone dared criticise his daughters, promptly accused the critic of being racist.

Martina Hingis was sometimes very badly behaved, but in her case it was the mother who encouraged her.
Venus Williams has matured pretty well, but back in the day she was rather arrogant.

Chris Ford, what do you mean by saying the “liberal” media are sensationalist? In the UK, at any rate, the majority of the newspapers are right wing – the Daily Mail. the Daily Express, the Times, the Telegraph. Are things very different in America or Australia?

So so happy for Naomi!….Wow!!….That was amazing!!…1st time in the final..and she nailed it!!….Against Serena,against the crowds,against drama,against pressure as big as an Everest…and she DID IT!!..WOOOHOOOO!!….Just wow!….

Simona take years to secured her 1st slam…C.Wozniacki too…And Naomi clearly bypassed her much hyped seniors like Pliskova,Svitolina etc….Just hope she will not become one of those 1st slam wonder & then disappeared into the abyss somewhere….Angie survived but Ostapenko,Caroline,Stosur & many others still in it….

Colin – One thing I do in downtime, travel is look at global media, inc. India, China, Germany, Brazil, Russia, & FRance as well as the UK and Canada, obviously. Go to Drudge, link to various websites, TV, papers. To see how perspectives differ.
So I sample global as well as USA. From that I can tell you that a large part of the US media is owned and run by Jewish progressives so it tends to be leftist, race-baiting. Exceptions in the US include Fox News, various radio outlets, certain papers like the Orange Country Register, and most of the time, the NY Post. But 90% plus of us news and entertainment media is left-leaning, not just in editorials but in actual manipulation of the news.

We don’t have much of public broadcasting…what exists in the ISA is local TV access for fringe groups of all stripes and PBS – which was set up by Democrats and is so left and aligned with Deemocrat Party liberals & progressives that PBS and the Democrat Party were found to share donor lists.

While Fox can be sensationalist, it is the Left that uses the media to push PC, denounce the enemies of the left, and push racial discontent – in sensationalist fashion. This makes the American media widely disliked and distrusted because it is all political affiliation agenda-driven. More and more, the media is pushing this into sports and on athletes. Going preachy left almost killed ESPN. And that is one factor in Trumps election.

Big Lady stopped growing emotionally at 13. So it has been an issue that has not been addressed by her or by her family. You would think that given all she has accomplished, she would be a better human being. Future is always a clean slate, hope she starts today her journey towards being a better person.

Playing the mommy tag or gender card won’t work if you call someone a liar and thief, you won’t get much sympathy. I have also had issues with Carlos Ramos, but nothing like the Big Lady.

I really don’t think most people here understand what it takes to grow up in Compton and emerge as dominant forces in a predominantly white, rich field. If you think it’s for the faint of heart, you don’t get it. The lunacy of criticizing someone for raising entitled girls when they came from dirt speaks for itself.

For me, having fought – and won – gender discrimination battles, I can only say that Serena choked up NOT when talking of the loss but when talking of the indignity of being tsked for the temerity of using the word “thief” while male counterparts visit much worse upon umpires every day. Hate her if you like – she doesn’t care – but make no mistake, this isn’t just about her own self. She is genuinely fighting for what she believes is a question of right vs. wrong, and for women to be “allowed” to be as passionate and unrestrained as men.

To channel the language of the purveyor of your let’s-go-back-to-the-50s-when-white-men-ran-everything-and-women-knew-their-place grievances: Sad!

People who bring Compton, gender, mommy, etc. don’t understand that players need to respect officials. Yes, officials make mistakes even at the biggest stage, it is up to the player to behave properly at all times.

Remember, it is not the first time. There is a history. And the apologists have a story for each occurrence.

BBB, you amaze me.
“The lunacy of criticizing someone for raising entitled girls”
First of all, if the US media are so leftist, how come you just elected the most right wing president imaginable? Take a look at the Right Wing Watch website to see what the “leftist” media are like.

Secondly, you are being very selective. If you read my post again, you’ll see that I mentioned Martina Hingis as being raised to feel entitled by her mother, and Ms Hingis was white the last time I saw a picture of her.

In case you’ve forgotten her behavior, let me remind you of the time, on a clay court, when she disputed her shot being called out, she marched round the net to the other court to find the mark. Completely against the rules. Then there was her charming description of Amelie Mauresmo as “half a man”.

Then again, you’re redefining “entitled”. Of course black people should be entitled in the sense of getting equal treatment in legal matters and police procedure. I simply meant that the Williams sisters were encouraged to FEEL entitled to behave badly. I think Ms Bouchard feels superior because her family is rich, and she’s white.

It’s interesting that the foot fault judge Serena threatened was a member of another sub-division of Americans – Oriental.
Treatment of Japanese-Americans who were interned during World War 2 was so disgraceful Clinton offered an apology. I’m no fan of either Clinton, but he was right in that instance.

By the way, Trump would probably look at that umpire’s name and say Mr Ramos was a Mexican terrorist!

You’ve lost the plot Colin. I am not the one talking about leftist media. I assure you, I keenly feel the resurgence of authoritarianism – even on this board, as we speak. Look at all the defenders of Ramos simply because he’s the umpire. Ja wohl!

People who fight for everything they get because it’s not going to be handed to them are, by definition, not entitled.

That what she did is perceived as “uncontrolled rage” is the whole point. I love Novak, but he actually damaged the court with his racquet during the US Open series. But hey, he’s not a black woman, so no biggie.

In my experience, foreigners do not understand American race relations, and would be best served not lecturing those of us who live and breathe it.

We’ve already lost a perfectly good and accurate word, “Negro”, and that was purely because of an accident of pronunciation on the part of Southerners, who say “Nigra”, which of course sounds like the N word. Thus we end up with artificial labels like African-American, I remember someone referring to Heather Watson as Afro because she’s dark skinned, a characteristic she gets from her mother, who’s from Papua New Guinea. Ethiopians are African, and dark skinned, but they aren’t Negroes so, as I say we’ve lost a perfectly good word. “Oriental” means coming from the Orient, and is purely geographical. What other adjective would you prefer?

I see that the WTA have muddied the waters further by supporting Serena in her claim of sexism. Very helpful.

The word “hater” is being overworked by supporters of Serena, when it should more appropriately be applied to her threatening that foot fault judge all those years ago, not to mention shouting at a (female)umpire “You’re ugly inside”.

I can understand your not liking being lectured by a non- American, but you must excuse me for being nervous about the possible consequences of President Trump’s use and abuse of power.